


Blood is Thicker than Water

by Bluejaykat, MidnightCassiopeia



Series: Shadow of the Golden Curtain [2]
Category: B.A.P, JYJ (Band), NCT (Band), TRCNG (Band), VIXX
Genre: Android Taeyong, Angst, Cuddling, Flashbacks, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, Implied/Referenced Torture, Junsu and Jaejoong are stressed parents, Past Abuse, So many flashbacks, accepting oneself :), archangel Jaejoong, baby vampire Jisung, blood drinking (from a glass), hurt Junsu, like sad flashbacks, pure blooded vampire Junsu, self doubt, the relationship is platonic but you could read it as romantic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-13
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:19:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,716
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25251502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluejaykat/pseuds/Bluejaykat, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MidnightCassiopeia/pseuds/MidnightCassiopeia
Summary: Minki, Luhan and Jinu bring an unconscious and newly turned Jisung to Junsu. However, adjusting to your new life as a vampire is never easy...
Relationships: Kim Junsu (JYJ) & Kim Jaejoong
Series: Shadow of the Golden Curtain [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1825696
Comments: 3
Kudos: 7





	Blood is Thicker than Water

**Author's Note:**

> So, we wrote a lot of these in this series, Midnight is currently working on a VIXX one and I’m also writing an NCT and a BigBang one. (Lots to look forward to in thee next 20 years when I finally get around to finishing them XD) but this is the second part of the series and focuses on JYJ. Enjoy! :)

As they drew near the house, Minki grew more and more nervous. 

“Uh, you have spoken to him before, right?” Luhan raised an eyebrow and shifted Jisung’s weight in his arms.

“Yes but it was a long time ago, okay? Like...once at an awards show. So give me a break!” He paused and glanced around, rubbing his face, “besides, Junsu is…weird. We all know that. Look, maybe I’m not super qualified for this, but Junsu is the only one trustworthy enough to go to for help okay?”

Luhan and Jinwoo were about to open their mouths to reply when something landed on the path directly in front of them, causing the ground to shake. Luhan nearly screamed but restrained himself and clung onto Jisung tighter. The figure loomed, and for the first time, they saw what it was as it drew itself up to its full height. 

“Kim Jaejoong-ssi?” Came the awkward query after the man glared at them, crossing his arms, massive black wings unfurled.

“Why are you here?” He pressed, growing impatient.

“We just want to see Junsu hyung. May we pass?” Minki put on his best placating smile.

“Hmm. Vampires. How irritating” he growled, gaze darkening as his eyes flickered over them, lighting questioningly on Jisung.

“Hyung, you live with a vampire.” Luhan interjected, slightly unsure.

“Bold of you to assume I don’t find Junsu irritating.” Jaejoong chuckled lowly before his countenance changed suddenly as if a new thought crossed his mind. “Come with me. You may enter.”

  
  


The three vampires wrinkled their noses a bit as they entered the mansion. The entire place was strange and catered in some way to every vampire stereotype ever, which they couldn’t decide whether to find hilarious or offensive. The mansion was huge, although clearly someone, whether Junsu or Jaejoong, had a good eye for color, because it was well decorated. It was old, frozen in time almost, and as such, most likely worth billions of won in historical artifacts. Hell, Junsu himself was a walking piece of history. Although he wasn’t as old as some others, it was rumored his grandparents were alive during the Joseon era. 

Junsu, of course, was more vampire than them even, given that he was full blooded while they had been human once. Pretty much every coven knew about him, for multiple reasons. The foremost being that he lived alone, having left his coven years ago. He was also known for being eccentric (which most people assumed was a result of the former reason) and lastly, for his unusual double incisor mutation. 

“Junsu!!” Jaejoong calls as soon as they entered the house, “you have company.” 

There was a rustling noise and they were immediately overwhelmed with the sensation of being ...watched, mentally. After a while, once it seemed they had been sufficiently scrutinized, Junsu himself turned the corner. He was dressed in a faded pastel hanfu with intricate golden designs woven through it, and Jinu recognized his aqua blue hair from his latest comeback single. It was a striking modern contrast against the traditional look of his robes, making him look as out of place in the house as he was in history. 

“Do you like it?” He asked suddenly, directing the question to the three newcomers, turning around in a full 360 to give them a full view.

It took a while to just try and figure out what on earth he was even referring to before they finally caught on that he meant the robe.

“Uh it’s um, Chinese.” Luhan finally spoke up, wanting to slap himself immediately afterwards.

“Yes, I tore it from the body of an invading general in 1736.” His eyes glimmered a vibrant red underneath the usual brown façade.

No one had anything to say to that, so they just looked at each other in mute discomfort. Suddenly, Junsu laughed, showing his teeth, fangs on full display. 

“I’m just kidding, it was a custom for a performance in Taiwan. Geez.” 

“Kim Junsu. I’ve told you to stop scaring people like that.” Jaejoong scolded, rolling his eyes.

“Oh please, like you dropping your 6ft ass directly in front of them wearing that ratty coat wasn’t scary.” Junsu suddenly appeared very close to Luhan, and leaned down to inspect Jisung. 

“Who do we have here?” 

“This is Jisung. He was turned by the TS coven.” Jinwoo started to explain, as Junsu tilted his head, staring intently at Jisung, narrowing his eyes at the mention of TS, “We didn’t want him to be bound to them, so we brought him to you.” 

“Has he awoken since he was bitten?” 

“Well...he did but I uh...may have punched him.” Minki admitted, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

“You hit a kid?” Jaejoong sighed deeply. 

“Hey, you say that as if you and Yoochun didn’t beat my ass routinely. Thought you could get away with it because I was “younger.”” Junsu dismissed his concern. “For future reference, cough syrup is really potent. Don’t ask how I know that.” 

“Junsu hyung, I don’t want him. He’ll mess up the house and want an Xbox or something. Plus I don’t want a creepy baby vampire running around. One kid is bad enough.” Jaejoong complained.

“Shut up.” Junsu commanded. “Place him on the couch please.” He directed the trio into the living room and settled Jisung comfortably while Jaejoon muttered something about kids these days having no respect. 

Junsu drew himself up to his full height, which admittedly wasn’t extremely tall, and placed his hands on Jisungs temples. His eyes showed a bright red and the tan in his skin shifted into marble white as his full vampiric powers manifested themselves. 

Wake up. 

That was the first thing Jisung heard. Demanding. Must. Obey. Must. Obey. Hungry, he was so...hungry. His eyes snapped open and he flew up into a sitting position. The boy took in his surroundings, and blinked a few times, eyes snapping from one face to another to another, searching. He took a long sniff and growled in dissatisfaction. Nothing here was good for eating. Finally, he saw him. Vaguely, the Jisung that was an idol recognized him as Junsu from JYJ. He’d seen him perform at an award show once. But Jisung the vampire only saw another vampire of status who had commanded his obedience. The red eyes had a life of their own, swirling...swirling… 

“I’ve never seen actual hypnosis before.” Jinwoo remarked to Jaejoong who was picking his nails casually. 

“How many full blooded vampires do you even know though?”

“Ok fair enough. I’ve also never met an archangel.”

“That’s because I’m the only one.” The angel in question raised an eyebrow.

“Left or like, at all? Because there’s a difference.” 

Jaejoong shrugged. 

“At all as far as I know. I don’t remember anything from my childhood. My parents...nothing. I just remember waking up one day. I guess I was just made like this, from air and wind and ebony in the mountains...or whatever other bullshit Junsu makes up when he feels poetic.” 

“Wait so you don’t have parents?!” Minki butted in, no longer interested in what was happening with Junsu and Jisung.

The archangel shrugged and shifted his left wing a bit. 

“Not that I know of biologically. I have a big adopted family though.”

  
  


“Hey stop that! Get up.” 

The attention returned to Junsu who was hauling Jisung up from where he was kneeling in front of him, tucking him firmly under his arm. 

“Are you hungry?” 

Jisungs eyes lit up a brilliant red at the mention of food, and small, jagged fangs pushed past his bottom lip. He still wasn’t past the feral stage, and Luhan Jinwoo and Minki were all glad he was here with Junsu instead of alone and wreaking havoc without guidance. They remembered how hard it was when they were first turned. Minki was still in high school, 1989, when he was bitten by an exchange student in the janitor closet; Jinwoo was older, 1977, at a protest. Luhan had been turned sometime in the late 1800s in China.

Junsu calmly walked to the fridge and opened it, handing a nearly ravenous Jisung a packet of blood. It was a jarring sight: a sixteen year old tearing into plastic, red staining his mouth and dripping down his chin, eyes gleaming and dark blood marring his pale, smooth face. Slowly, the red in his eyes began to fade and he dropped the bag with a gasp, looking down at his hands as he sunk to his knees with an expression of pure horror. 

“What did I—“ he broke off into a sob, gagging a few times but now unable to throw up.

Junsu’s expression softened and he knelt down wordlessly beside Jisung and pulled the frightened and crying boy into his arms. 

It will be alright. I’ll take care of you. Jisung heard a voice in his head and a calm spread through him, making him relax.

"W-who are you?"

"Call me Junsu hyung." 

"Are you a vampire too?"

"Yes."

"How old are you?"

There was a pause.

"582. And three days."

Jisung sniffed and looked up at the other with teary eyes. 

“Ah! Oh gosh you—you’re Xia...from TVXQ...gosh my mom listened to you guys!” The identity of his host finally hitting him.

“Oh ok, thanks for making me feel old.” Junsu rolled his eyes as Jaejoong snorted from behind.

“Shut up Junsu hyung you’re already old as balls. Hey kid, who’s her bias?” The archangel butted in and Minki groaned.

“Uh well it’s actually U-know but—“ Jisung was cut off as Jaejoong let out a loud, offended huff. 

“Can’t believe that lame sissy mortal has attracted more attention—“

“Ughhhhhh what time is it?” A new voice groaned and someone stumbled into the kitchen rubbing their eyes.

“TAEYONG??” Luhan and Jisung yelled at nearly the same time.

Luhan remembered the strangely beautiful trainee from when he was back at SM and part of EXO. He had always thought there was something inhuman about the kid, but could never figure out what. He never smelled like anything, no scent at all, which was odd. Jisung, of course, had always admired NCT, marvelling at how well Taeyong danced and rapped, almost effortlessly. Junsu sighed heavily, having forgotten Taeyong had been staying the night with them after a severe malfunction, and the members thought it better he stayed with other inhumans he trusted. 

At the mention of his name by people he did not recognize, Taeyong’s head snapped up and he blinked owlishly at the newcomers with a look of terror before jolting into action and nearly tripping over himself in his hurry to get away. 

“Ah! Taeyong come here! This is your new brother.” Junsu called before the other could get anywhere far, though he ultimately failed as the young man had scrambled back upstairs. 

“Is he a vampire too?” Jisung asked timidly, picking himself up off the floor with Junsu’s help.

“No no. Taeyong he’s...he’s an android.”

Ah. That would be why Luhan could never smell him.

“See this is why I said we can’t adopt any more kids!” Jaejoong grumbled, passing a towel to Jisung who took it and wiped his face, somewhat embarrassed.

“He’s reverse engineered from Jellyfish Tech. Kim Wonsik to be exact.” Junsu continued, ushering everyone into the sitting room, “We’re working on social cues but, well, we’re not exactly the best people to be teaching social behavior to him. I mean the only reason Jaejoong first agreed to look after the robot was because he found out that Taeyong was meant to look like him. ” 

Just then Luhan’s phone buzzed. He frowned as he looked at the screen. 

“It’s my girlfriend asking where I am.”

“Ah I completely forgot it’s strange to be out at night!” Jinwoo laughed. “We should probably head back. Seungyoon insists I act normal so no one will find out. He’s terrified someone will.”

“Nuest doesn’t know.” Minki shrugged. “They just think I’m really pretty. I didn’t want to put them in any danger because of me.” 

“Well, it's difficult to keep a secret when your leader is psychic.” Jinu finished sending a text and looked up.

“Tell Yongguk I will take very good care of Jisung.” Junsu patted the younger on the head affectionately. “Thank you for bringing him to me, god knows what would have happened if the management at TS had gotten to him first.”

****************

“Do um...do we need sleep?” Jisung asked shyly once the others had left. 

Jaejoong was snoring on the couch in the living room and the house was pitch black, the only light being from the moon and the faint glow of Junsu’s eyes. The two were sitting on the couch side by side, Jisung curled up beside the older vampire.

“Not exactly. I sleep sometimes because I can go longer without eating if I do” Junsu explained.

“Do you sleep in a coffin?”

“Why the hell would I sleep in a coffin, kid?” the older vampire snorted, amused, “don’t believe what you see on TV, we can go out in the sun and eat garlic. But we can’t go in anywhere without someone inviting us, and silver is still a problem, so they got that right. You need to remember to tell your stylist you’re allergic to silver, okay?”

“Ok hyung.” Was all Jisung said, and fell silent after that. Neither of them needed to breathe anymore, so the only sound was Jaejoong. 

“Ah hyung,” he piped up in a small voice maybe 20 Minutes later, “what would have happened to me if Yongguk hyung hadn’t called?”

Junsu was quiet for a long time before responding.

“Bad things, kiddo. Bad things. Now close your eyes and try to rest a bit.” 

****************

  
  


_It was cold. And dark. And he was so so hungry. Normally the cold didn’t bother him, in fact, he couldn’t feel it, but for the first time in his life he was cold. Cold on the inside. Lonely, scared. He didn’t know how long he had been here, the last thing he remembered was Yoochun taking him out drinking. Oh god, they were probably worried sick about him. He pulled his knees up to his chest, resting his cheek on them, wondering. There were muffled voices outside the door and he perked up. Suddenly the door was yanked open and he covered his eyes with a yelp and a hiss as the blinding artificial light stabbed his eyes._

_“Try anything, pretty boy, and we’ll put a silver bullet through your skull faster than you can get your fangs out.” He was half pulled half dragged out by a man in a long black coat and a golden mask._

_He tried to get his eyes to adjust to the light, but looking back, he wondered if it would have been better if he hadn’t, so he could have remained unaware: unaware of Yoochun standing there, refusing to look at him, unaware of the black suitcase in his hand, unaware of him turning on his heel and walking away with nothing more than a ‘I’m sorry, Su-ah. I’ll tell Jaejoong hyung you said goodbye.’_

****************

Jaejoong woke up and nearly screamed. He had completely forgotten about the younger vampire now living in their house and the first thing his sleep addled mind had supplied him with was that Junsu had somehow become small. The second thought was more rational being along the lines of “what the fuck” which is what he said aloud before realizing that the vampire was still young and he shouldn’t have said that. 

“Geez kid, you scared me. It’s creepy to lean over people while they’re sleeping!” He scolded but instantly regretted it the second Jisung cringed away and looked about to cry. Junsu would kill him. 

“It's okay.” He added reassuringly in a much gentler tone, “want to make some coffee with me?” 

Jisung nodded and the two made their way into the kitchen.

“H—hyung?” Jisung’s shy small voice was barely heard over the coffee maker.

“Yeah, Jisungie?” 

“Did Junsu hyung get in a lot of fights?”

Jaejoong stiffened and turned around.

“What do you mean?” 

“He has scars all over him. I thought vampires healed quickly.”

  
  


Junsu’s eyes snapped open and he realized it was day, the smell of coffee coming from the kitchen, Taeyong at it again with that wretched vacuum upstairs, and Jisung….Jisung! He momentarily panicked before he heard him talking with Jaejoong. Instantly relaxing back onto the couch he frowned as he rubbed his temples. He had dreamed. He never dreamed. He should probably eat. 

Jisung, meanwhile, was perched on the counter, watching Jaejoong cook with interest. 

“Can I touch your wings, Hyung?”

“No.”

“Are they soft?”

“Not really.”

“Do they feel heavy?”

“I’m used to it.”

Junsu smiled to himself a bit before going to stand directly behind Jaejoong, causing the other to nearly drop breakfast onto the floor.

“Don’t DO that!” He scolded. “Someone call Taeyong. He needs to stop cleaning like a freak and get down here.”

“I’ll go—“ Junsu began, but was cut off by the doorbell ringing. 

The vampire closed his eyes for a brief moment before a look of relief passed over his face. 

“Jisung, why don’t you get the door.” He nudged the boy in the direction of the front door. “They’re here to see you.”

  
  


Jisung gingerly tiptoed to the door. He was afraid to open it, but if Junsu Hyung said they were safe then he could trust him...right? He cautiously pulled it open and peeked out, only to fling it open completely with a happy squeal as he was smothered in hugs.

“Jisung!!!! You’re okay! We were so worried about you!! You’re alive!” His members tackled him, but instead of tumbling to the ground he found he managed to hold all of them up at once.

“Wow you’re so strong!” Kangmin gaped. “Oh my gosh Hyung! You can finally yeet me super far! Maybe onto the roof!” 

“No. NO. We are not “yeeting” anyone.” Yongguk firmly put an end to the commotion.

Junsu had appeared by this time, calmly surveying the mass of boys on the doorstep.

“Ah. Junsu. I hope you don’t mind, they just wouldn’t stop begging me to take them to see him. Especially Kangmin.” Yongguk smiles his gummy smile.

A stab of pity hit Junsu as he looked at Kangmin playfully clinging to his friend. Soon the boy would be grown up and growing old while Jisung stayed on, always caught between the age of sixteen and twenty, youthful features saddened by soon to be centuries of watching the world turn on around him while time stayed still. 

“I’m going to take them to Ravi after this. VIXX have all agreed to look after them.” Yongguk smiled tiredly. “I just...can’t help but blame myself a bit. I should have seen...they were crying for help and I—I’ve been through this too, I should have just—“

He was silenced by Junsu’s poignant stare and overwhelming mental presence as the older looked him in the eye. 

“Yongguk, your life is too short to live with regrets. This was never your fault, and you’ve already helped them more than you’ll ever know.”

The two looked over to where the nine boys were clustered around Jisung as he obligingly showed them his fangs and let them poke at them. 

“Hey hey, careful now, his teeth are very sharp and I don’t know what will happen if one of you actually gets cut…” Yongguk herded them away a bit despite the obvious disappointment. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Junsu noticed one of the boys, Taeson, staring at him, quickly averting his eyes once Junsu turned. 

“Junsu ssi?” he approached him with a small voice, looking at the ground and scuffing his foot.

“Mmm?” 

“What were they going to do to my Jisung?”

A far away look crept into Junsu’s eyes. He knew exactly what they would have done to Jisung. Once the boy was properly controlled and past the feral stage, they would sell him off to them. The Golden Curtain. A secret elite club deep in the underbelly of Seoul, a place for the rich and powerful around the world to live out their violent fantasies. It was a place where they could watch beautifully made-up inhuman idols fight each other and, when requested, find inhuman companionship. 

The bass flooded through the speakers and the lights flashed an eerie and disorienting purple. Junsu felt his head reeling, overwhelmed with too many people's thoughts. It was instantly evident this was not some brute underground bar but a high class institution: people dressed to the nines in expensive outfits, all wearing the same golden mask as that man Yoochun had sold him off to, effectively hiding their faces. He winced at the memory of the elder standing there, staring as he was dragged off. It hurt, finally thinking he had found a group of people he thought he could trust only to have them betray his deepest secret. 

He lost his first fight. He never was able to recall much about it except being dragged out of that cage unable to stand, or move. It took him weeks to recover. The silver coating on the cage had interfered with his healing factor permanently. The only thing seared into his memory forever was the look of utter terror and desperation on the face of the other creature he had fought. 

“Junsu!” 

“Junsu! Hey!” Jaejoong waved his hand in front of his face tentatively. “You good?”

Taeson was staring at him apprehensively as well. He had just wanted to know what would have happened if Jisung hadn’t been found by Kangmin, but he was having second thoughts on whether he even wanted to. It must have been something horrible for Junsu to be like this. Jaejoong patted his head reassuringly and told him it wasn’t his fault and this was normal. 

“Yeah. Yeah I’m fine.” 

  
  


Jisung cried when his band mates left. Even though they promised he could still be part of the group when he was ready, he still cried.

“Jisungie Hyung it will be alright! You know,” Kangmin was explaining to him solemnly, “Minki Hyung and Jinwoo Hyung are part of their groups and it’s okay! You like Winner sunbaenims, right? Remember they sat next to us during that one show? Junsu-ssi will take very good care of you and teach you all the vampire-y things you need to know.” 

“I know, I just...I don’t wanna be a vampire, Min.” He sniffled, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. 

“I’m sorry hyungie, but you are now. So please try to stay positive, and we’ll always love you for as long as we’re alive. And then you can make new friends. Or maybe you’ll meet us again in our next lives! Won’t that be fun? Maybe I’ll be the president in my next life!”

“Don’t talk like that Kangmin! You still have a long time until you die! Okay??” Jisung panicked even at the thought of his friends dying, even though the harsh truth was starting to dawn on him. 

“Ok Hyung.”

“We’ll call you all the time, Jisung, just take your time and when you’re ready you can come back and we’ll be ten again!” Wooyeop smiled before pulling him into a hug. “We'll always be ten.”

Jisung couldn’t sleep anymore, but he did lie in his room with his eyes closed, thinking. Jaejoong agreed to take him shopping tomorrow. He had never been allowed to have anything really when he was with TS, so he didn’t know what to do with himself. He was currently trying to imagine what else he might need besides a toothbrush and soap. Junsu and Jaejoong were talking in low voices downstairs and the electronic hum from the next room told him Taeyong hadn’t gone into sleep mode yet. 

“What happened earlier today, Junsu?” Jaejoong was seated next to him on the couch, right wing flopped over his head, covering him like a blanket as he rested his head on his old bandmate’s shoulder.

“I remember the first time I fought.” He spoke up quietly after a long pause. “I remember how terrified my opponent was. Desperate. It was like...they weren’t even human anymore.”

Jaejoong chuckled a little bit. 

“As if we know anything about being human, Junsu.”

“Oh shut up, you know what I mean.” Junsu hit his friend in playful annoyance before the other grew serious again.

“Yoochun said you ran away. Said that you needed space. And I fucking believed that liar.” He spat in disgust. “I even resented you for it. And to think all that time he was laughing at me.”

“Jaejoong…”

“When I found out what he’d done, I almost killed him.”

“Jaejoong!” Junsu raised his voice this time, sharply bringing the speaker to a halt. Sighing heavily, he continued in a softer voice, “I don’t know Yoochun’s reasons for what he did, perhaps he did it to get money for the lawsuit, but being angry at him won’t change the fact that what’s happened has happened. We should just forget about it.”

“But you can’t.” Shaking his head, Jaejoong continued to look ahead at some invisible spot on the far wall. “And neither can I. We can’t just pretend this never happened, Su. That’s not the answer. Because if we do, if we forget, it will happen again. It will happen to others. Some things aren’t meant to be forgotten. Don’t forget how hard we fought to disband The Golden Curtain. Hakyeon and Jiyong...”

There was silence for a while longer, Jaejoong’s breathing the only sound besides a ticking clock in the hallway. 

“There was a kid. When I was there. Couldn’t have been more than sixteen. His name was Chan.”

“Wait, Bang Chan?”

“Mmm.” Junsu nodded in affirmation.

Jaejoong waited patiently to see where the story was going. 

“I never want anyone to go through that again, especially not kids. So, maybe it’s good I don’t forget. So I can help people like Jisung.”

They settled back into a comfortable silence, and Jaejoong thought back to when he had first found out Junsu was...well... wasn't human. He knew immediately, of course, but anytime he had approached Junsu about it, the other had come up with excuses for it. He looked ageless? Good genetics—although that wasn’t strictly a lie. They didn’t eat a lot as trainees, so when Junsu didn’t eat he’d always say he ate earlier or the managers put him on a diet or he wasn’t hungry…that was something they all did, so no one paid much attention.

The time Jaejoong finally confronted him about it, though, was when Junsu had gotten injured during a soccer game. First of all, he was oddly fast and strong for someone of his build that it continuously shocked everyone he played with, but he had taken quite a nasty fall, and Jaejoong had sworn he heard bones crunch. Junsu’s ankle was bent at 90 degrees to his leg, a solid break or at the very least a bad sprain, but there had been nothing. Junsu had nonchalantly cracked it back into place, limped around for a minute, then went right back to playing. He shouldn’t have been so careless, someone was bound to notice, so Jaejoong had cornered him and lectured him about it later, and the younger had tried desperately to get away or make up any sort of weak excuse until he broke down sobbing in the dance practice room. 

_“You’re not alone Junsu.”_

_Hesitantly he had shown Junsu his wings, which he immediately regretted because Junsu started pestering him with questions._

_“Can I touch them?”_

_“No.”_

_“Are they soft?”_

_“Not really.”_

_“Heavy?”_

_“I’ve gotten used to them.”_

_Junsu was disappointed he couldn’t touch his wings, a privilege Jaejoong allowed only later, but was visibly relaxed. Then Jaejoong had pestered him about history questions that Junsu was irritatingly un-knowledgeable about._

  
  
  


“You know, Jisung asked me the same questions you did. This morning.” He mentioned offhandedly, running his long fingers through Junsu’s hair while the other gently traced patterns on his feathers. 

“Well can you blame him? Your wings are amazing.”

“Yes yes, I know.” 

“You should eat soon.” Jaejoong mumbled before drifting off to sleep. “You always get nightmares when you haven't eaten for a while.” 

“Mmmm. Tomorrow.”

****************

_“Hello pretty.” The grinning face of the man in the golden mask greeted him as he was soaked awake with cold water. Junsu tried his best to scramble away from that face and the evil radiating off of him, but the man just laughed and grabbed him roughly by the chin again, nearly crushing his jaw as he turned his head from side to side and giving his face a once over. “We’re giving you a makeover.”_

_Huge handcuffs were clamped onto his wrists that burned his skin (Silver, he guessed) and he was blindfolded before being pulled down a hallway of some sort, the muzzles of tranquilizer guns jabbing into his side. They didn’t take his blindfold off until he was locked into some sort of chair. The light was so bright, his ears were ringing and he felt disoriented. There were people standing around in starch white lab coats with strong smelling latex gloves that made Junsu want to gag. He was relieved that there were no torture instruments that he could see, but the sight of scissors and hair dye wasn’t extremely comforting either._

_“Our clients are extremely high class. Shame to let your beauty go unappreciated. We’re going to give you character.” He wasn’t really talking to Junsu, but continued to speak out loud anyway. “We’re thinking red hair...fiery red like the color of his eyes. Hmm?”_

_The bleach stung his skull and the smell was unpleasant, and the red color reminded him of blood, which made him hungry. It didn’t help that the man pulled up his lip to inspect his teeth, running a finger along his fangs._

_“How unusual. Double incisors. Those must leave marks.”_

_“I don’t kill people.” Junsu yanked his head away. His voice sounded rough and scratchy._

_“Mmm. Not yet.” The man chuckled. “Not yet.”_

  
****************

Jisung stood out on the balcony watching the sun rise. It was a sight he had never really been able to appreciate before, the gentle pink peeking over the horizon, creeping across the sky like thawing frost, turning it from an inky blue to a soft violet to a peachy orange and finally a light blue of morning. 

He fumbled around for his phone, snapping a picture. It didn’t manage to capture the beauty of it, but he kept it anyway and scrolled through his messages until he found the group chat with all the members. 

Jisung: so bc I’m ultra cool and don’t sleep anymore…

Jisung: sunrise

Jisung: attachment: 1 image

Taeson: Jisung for the love of all that is holy, it is 5:30AM. Please stop texting this group chat. Some of us still do sleep.

Jisung: not you tho *dab*

  
  
  


“Alright alright, welcome to how to be a vampire 101.” Junsu began, sitting Jisung down on the couch. 

Jisung oddly felt like he was about to be given “the talk”, and it was certainly no less awkward. Granted, Junsu wasn’t giving him sex ed, but it somehow made Jisung wretchedly uncomfortable.

“The first and most important lesson is feeding.” Junsu held up a finger, and pointed to his fangs, leaning down to Jisung’s level, “Yes, you can eat normal human food, and yes you can eat garlic. It doesn’t taste like anything to me, but you’re not pure blooded, so some of the flavor will probably stay. But in order to live you’re going to have to actually drink blood. Just about the only thing pop culture gets right.” He muttered that last part under his breath. There was a reason vampire movies were banned in the house. “There’s plenty of ways to get packaged blood, and it’s nice because you can take your pick of blood type. A types are sweeter, B types are usually a bit more tangy and O types are a nice in between along with AB. It’s like wine really. Although you’re a bit too young for that. Don’t worry, we’ll still celebrate your birthday and when you turn 19 you can get blackout drunk.”

Jisung was doing his very best to suppress how revolted he felt and resist the urge to gag as Junsu talked about drinking blood so nonchalantly, unaware of his struggle, or, if he was, which was more probable, he just elected to ignore it. He really was strange, and it confused Jisung to no end. 

“If you want to feed on a living human, you need to be VERY careful. It’s something you shouldn’t do until you’re older. Kind of like...um...well... having se—“

“OK HYUNG.” Jisung cut him off, face beet red. 

“Right. Anyway but if it’s an emergency, (or they're into it) the essential is to ASK FIRST. And only ask if you’re extremely comfortable with them. Also the arm is just as easily accessible and much less painful than the neck, so unless they...well nevermind we’ll just leave it at that. Don’t go for the neck.”

“Junsu you really are terrible at this.” Jaejoong remarked. 

Ignoring his comment, Junsu continued. 

“You also have to remember that humans...and vampires ...can only lose so much blood before they die which means they have to let you know when they’re getting lightheaded.”

“Speaking of eating.” The archangel cut in, disregarding Junsu’s eye roll at the interruption, “you haven’t eaten anything in a month.”

“A month!!?” Jisung gaped at the other.

“You probably can’t go as long and honestly I wouldn’t recommend it. He’s been a pain in the ass recently.” Jaejoong answered the young vampire’s question before Junsu got the chance, hauling the other up and towards the kitchen despite his protests. “Come on. You’re going to want to attack something if you go any longer and I don’t feel like cleaning deer guts up off the yard.”

“Deer what—“ Jisung whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

“Aish you scared him!” Junsu smacked Jaejoong reproachfully. “And that happened one time.”

“Junsu Hyung?” Jisung trailed after them into the kitchen.

“Mm?” Junsu looked up from where he was twirling his straw around in the glass.

“Did...have you...uh bit someone...ever?”

“Yeah, twice.” Junsu nodded . “Once was when I was fighting in Japan. He was an old war buddy, a great friend. He’s still around, you know him. Eunhyuk.”

“Oh.” There were so many vampires Jisung has never known about. Vampire in Winner, EXO, Nu’est and now apparently also Super Junior. “So you turned him into a vampire?”

“Yeah. He was all about it and asked me to. Still no regrets.”

“Can I turn people into vampires?”

“No. Only purebloods can.”

“How about the other time?”

There was a silence as Junsu coughed awkwardly while Jaejoong put a hand over his mouth to muffle his snort and Jisung could immediately tell he had asked a question to which he didn’t want the answer. He opened his mouth to apologize but Junsu spoke up, quickly changing the subject.

“One more thing about biting.”

“God that sounds weird.” Jaejoong mumbled under his breath.

“Never bite another vampire. Unless of course you want to kill them.”

And with that he pushed back his chair abruptly and left. 

“Jaejoong hyung, did uh...was that out of line?” Jisung asked in a small voice, shrinking down into his chair. He was so used to being yelled at for saying the wrong things that he half expected Jaejoong to come over and punch him in the face.

“No, it’s okay. Junsu just has things he’d rather not talk about, that’s all. He’s not mad at you. Plus he’s more just embarrassed about the whole thing. Don’t worry.” The older idol reassured him gently. “It was...silly.” 

“I understand. I have things I’d rather not talk about either.” Jisung smiled sadly and picked at the tablecloth. “But I want to.”

“Jisung, you can tell us anything. Trust me, I’ve heard enough over the years.” Jaejoong leaned forward kindly. 

“I want to tell Junsu. He’ll understand.” 

“Yeah. Yeah I’m sure he will.”

“What happened to him anyway?” 

“Why don’t you ask him?”

Junsu hadn’t meant to leave suddenly but the truth was he just didn’t want to have to explain to Jisung about the other time. He still lost metaphorical sleep over how embarrassing it was, and he hadn’t drank alcohol since. On a Saturday free of schedules him and Jaejoong had decided to stay in and drink. He didn’t have to hide behind the excuse of being a lightweight anymore, since it was just the two of them. Jaejoong told him later he was completely wasted after one shot, but Junsu liked to believe he had at least three before that. 

_“Jaejoooooongie.” He whined, stumbling over to his friend who was sitting on the couch, observing his shenanigans._

_“Sup.” Jaejoong was also pretty drunk, as evidenced by the five empty soju bottles around him. Heavyweight angelic-being piece of shit._

_“I’m hungry.”_

_“Ok? Hi hungry? I’m Jaejoong.”_

_“No! Nooooo.” He protested as he made his fifth attempt to climb up onto the seemingly insurmountable piece of furniture. “I wonder if you taste good.”_

_Jaejoong nearly spat out his drink and turned to Junsu, with a slight flush he hoped would be passed off as alcohol._

_“Junsu what the fuck.”_

_“I just wanna taste your blood hyung, chill. Nothing kinky.”_

_Why Jaejoong agreed to the whole thing, he never knew but Junsu had no sooner bit into him than he spat it out all over the couch with a face._

_“You taste like dirty socks!”_

_“I don’t even want to know how you know what dirty socks taste like.”_

  
****************  
  


Jisung stared at the blood packet and swallowed thickly. Just as he was about to take a bite, a shriek startled him.

“Noooooooooo!” 

Junsu swooped from out of nowhere, practically slapping the packet out of his hands and whisking it away. Still frozen in shock, a glass was replaced in his hands. It was a fancy glass with a cute blue straw that was bent in the shape of a star. It almost made him forget that the thick red liquid was blood. 

“You Little savage.” The older vampire continued in a much gentler tone, patting his head. “Don’t just rip it from the bag, sip it nicely. You gotta savor it.”

“That’s disgusting.” 

Jaejoong snorted in agreement from the other room. 

“Seriously!”

“Look Jisung.” Junsu began with a heavy sigh. “This is your life now. You can never go back. So you may as well learn to make the best of it. If you continue to put yourself in the mindset that it’s revolting, it will be a perpetual hell for you.”

“That’s easy for you to say hyung! You’ve never been human! You don’t even know what normal food tastes like!! I don’t want to make the best of it! I want to just go back to being...being…” Jisung’s voice dropped to a whisper as the outburst subsided, and his lower lip trembled, “human.” 

Junsu looked like he was about to say something, but then closed his mouth before shaking his head.

“Then you’ve let them win.”

He turned to walk away when he heard Jisung mutter something under his breath. 

“THEY’LL NEVER BREAK ME!” He screamed suddenly, slamming his fists down on the countertop, sending cracks scattering across the marbled surface from the impact. “Never. But I’m allowed to be sad! I’m allowed to be weak! I’m allowed to take time to adjust to this life!”

Junsu looked like he had been struck by a lightning bolt. Blinking a few times as if to process his surroundings, then bolted from the room. For once, though, Jisung didn’t feel bad or ashamed. He felt confident. He calmed down a bit after that and sipped the entire cup in one go. 

“You know, kid.” Jaejoong gave him a small smile, “I think you accomplished something important today. For the first time, you’re now able to stand up for yourself. No one is going to berate you or hit you for it. You can speak your mind now, like a normal human err—being. And I want you to remember that this is how it should be.”

“Hyung?” Jisung called tentatively after Jaejoong as he made a move to exit. “Sorry about the countertop.”

  
  
  


_“Junsu.”_

_“Junsu.”_

_“Taekwoon...I can’t. If I fight again…” his voice trailed off and he raked his fingers through his hair anxiously._

_The doll made a motion to comfort him but he pushed his hands away._

_“Promise me Taekwoon” his voice had dropped to a whisper as tears shimmered in his eyes. “Promise me if I ever...just...kill me first.”_

_There was a moment of hesitation, but the pleading almost desperate look in Junsu’s eyes was clearly enough for Taekwoon and the other just nodded briefly._

_“Alright.”_

_**********_

_Junsu hurled the doll forward against the walls of the cage, leaping after him, wrapping his hands around his neck. Junsu’s eyes were red and his fangs were out: both sets._

_“Junsu!” The doll, Taekwoon, strained against his grip. Taekwoon was strong but Junsu had become desperate, animalistic almost. His mind was foggy and everything was red._

_Taekwoon managed to throw him off and jumped on top of him, pinned his arms against his side with his knees. As he raised his hand, Junsu looked in horror as Taekwoon’s silver ring collided with his face again, and again and again…tears spilling over from Taekwoon’s eyes._

_He didn’t hear the screams of terror, didn’t see as the clients went running, tables and chairs being overturned._

_Suddenly, Taekwoon was ripped off of him, and his vision blurred. Someone knelt next to him, gently taking him into their arms._

_“Su! Junsu, hey, stay with me.” Jaejoong._

_He could barely make out the face of the man. His mouth tried to form words, but he felt darkness taking over him._

_“Jae...joong…hyung.” was all he could manage before everything faded to black._

  
  
  


Junsu was curled up in his coffin with the lid shut. Part of him felt a bit ridiculous, considering he had stolen it from the set of that ridiculous musical he had been part of, and it also played into every vampire stereotype that he hated so much. But it was dark and he was pouty and anymore he felt like he was becoming more and more like those vampires portrayed by the media. No matter what Jaejoong said, no matter how much he wanted to believe he was getting better, he could feel himself slipping. 

“The kid is right, you know.” 

Jaejoong’s voice spoke, and Junsu heard a soft thud as he presumably rested his head against the side. 

“Also for fucks sake Junsu what are you doing in that damn coffin.”

“What do you mean Jisung was right?” Junsu finally ventured to ask, and Jaejoong let out a mental sigh of relief.

“You never gave yourself time, Junsu. You woke up as soon as you’d healed, never wanted to talk about it and just expected yourself to be able to go back to normal. You wrote songs and made MVs and performed in a few musicals, focusing so hard on keeping Xia alive you forgot about Junsu. Well, you didn’t forget. You ignored him. I know nights are hell for you. Because then there’s nothing to distract you as sad broken Junsu screams for help, to be listened to, to heal, and you brush him off as a nightmare. You’re almost too scared to eat because anything that brings back a memory just makes you run. Junsu,” Jaejoong continued, well aware Junsu was listening, “what you went through was hell. You know that better than anyone, but you need to let yourself heal. Stop ignoring it. It’s driving you crazy Junsu-ah! Please, just take a break alright? You should talk to Taekwoon.”

He paused, swearing he could hear a muffled sniffle.

“I’m so afraid Su,” the archangel’s voice dropped to a whisper “that one day I’ll wake up and you’ll be gone, and I’ll have to drive a stake through the heart of the thing that killed my Junsu.”

A choked sob was all he needed to rip the top off that idiotic coffin (he was going to burn it when Su wasn’t looking) and gently haul a shaking, crying Junsu up into his arms.

“It hurts so much hyung.” He could barely make out the words Junsu said, if he even said them at all and it wasn’t just a mental projection of the vampire’s guilt and pain. 

“I know, I know.”

“I was so scared and confused and alone and I thought…. I thought you told Yoochun and no one was coming for me.”

“Do you still think that?” Now was not the time for personal feelings, Jaejoong reminded himself, but he had to know.

“I—I don’t… no! No! I don’t know!”

It was a stupid question. Junsu was literally clinging onto him like a sad blueberry. He wouldn’t be doing that if he still thought Jaejoong had told Yoochun anything. 

“I want to...I’m… hungry.” Junsu began mouthing along the side of Jaejoong’s neck.

“Junsu.” He warned, pulling away a bit. “I don’t taste good and if you bite me I’ll smack your dumbass. No.”

His eyes were a blazing red and his skin was turning ashen, long fangs extending past his lip and Jaejoong rubbed a free hand over his eyes. He wasn’t afraid of Junsu, but he was much more difficult to handle in his full vampire state, which included him acting like a rich snob and being generally more belligerent. Ordinarily Junsu had a good, almost perfect handle on it, but since he was so emotional…

“Fuck. Well let’s get you something to eat then.” 

Mercifully Junsu didn’t resist as he was pulled downstairs. Jaejoong had sent Jisung off to have breakfast with his group at VIXX’s, and Taeyong was ...somewhere, probably running diagnostics on himself.

“Here. Now actually eat this time.” He pushed a glass towards Junsu who was counting the flecks in the marble of the countertop. “You’ve been so busy with other people you forgot about yourself. You text Leo and talk about this tomorrow.” 

A grumble was all he got in response but it was good enough. 

“Hey hyung?” 

“Oh! Taeyong! Geez!” The sudden appearance of the android made his feathers ruffle slightly. “What’s going on?”

“Uh uh what’s a ship?” 

Jaejoong mentally slapped himself. There was only one place this was going. Taeyong learned a lot via the Internet, and he could at any time tap into a database so he could get basic knowledge a twenty four year old should have. However… there were downsides. He routinely (even after everyone from Jaehyun to Junsu warned him not to) did web searches of himself and NCT. 

“Fuck uh it’s like a big wooden or metal object that humans use to—“

Taeyong gave him a meaningful look. 

“Yeah ok. I’ll explain it to you later.” 

Junsu thought about what Jaejoong had said. He really should go visit Leo. Taekwoon was the first person to ever approach him in that hell hole; to try and befriend him, treat him as a person and not an object. 

  
  


_He was supposed to be watching the fight, learning how to win so he wouldn’t get his ass handed to him next time, according to his handler. He had spent a week recovering from his previous injuries, and his arm was still bandaged. Right now, however, all Junsu wanted was to get as far away from anything as possible, away from the hungry eyes of patrons, and the cruelty of the guards. Darting into a corner, he breathed a small sigh of relief at being alone, even if just for a moment._

_“Hey.” A voice startled him and he shrank backwards, hoping that if he made himself small enough they would just go away._

_“It’s alright, I’m not one of them.” it continued, softly, but never wavering._

_The owner of the voice continued to walk towards him until they stopped and sat down, not too close, but close enough. Both of them, just sitting in the semi darkness where the light from the crystal chandeliers barely reached, the sounds of glasses clinking and people cheering a bit more muffled._

_“I’m Leo. I fought you a week ago.” The man spoke up again, this time with a slight question in his voice as if expecting an answer, but not demanding one._

_“I’m Junsu.” His voice lisped a bit from the gold caps they always shoved over his fangs when he wasn’t fighting. He’d tried to take them off once…_

_“I wanted to apologize for hurting you. I hate the fights so much. But if I don’t fight, they’ll hurt my friends.” Leo continued, eyes giving Junsu a once over as if to assess the damage._

_Friends. He had friends. Junsu didn’t have any friends. Not anymore._

_“Friends?” He asked tentatively._

_“Yeah. My group mates.”_

_“Oh.”_

_Just the mention of groupmates made his stomach turn, the image of Yoochun leaving him in this hell burned permanently into his mind. He must have accidentally let a tear slip down the side of his face, because Leo noticed._

_“Does JYJ know?”_

_Junsu shook his head vigorously, almost viciously._

_“They turned me in.” He hissed._

_More silence. There was a scream that made them both flinch, as cheers erupted._

_“Well someone won.” Leo sighed. “We should get back.”_

_He stood up and offered Junsu his hand. Although he didn’t take it, the vampire appreciated the gesture. Maybe, they could be friends._

****************

_“Oh. Hyung you’re back!” Jaejoong looked up from where he was watching TV back at the dorm._

_“Ah, Yeah.”_

_“You guys were out so late, I was starting to think about maybe texting you in case lightweight Junsu was passed out somewhe— Wait where is Junsu anyway?” He stopped mid sentence on seeing that the youngest member had not come in after Yoochun shitfaced drunk as he had expected._

_“Junsu…” Yoochun heaved a deep sigh and made his way over to the couch, setting his coat down onto the floor. “Jaejoong, Junsu decided to leave.”_

_“He...WHAT???” Jaejoong leaped up phone clattering to the ground. “Why? Just like that?? All his stuff is still here!”_

_“He just said he needed space. The lawsuit is really hard on him, we need to be understanding—“ Yoochun started, trying to placate the other who was fuming._

_“He could have had the decency to come back and say goodbye! Yeah, the lawsuit is hard for all of us! We’re supposed to work through this together!! As a team! Dammit!” He felt like punching something._

_Hurt beyond words, he stormed out, back to his own room, slamming the door. Junsu has abandoned them. He didn’t care anymore._

_“Fuck you too, Kim Junsu.” He whispered as he lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling._

_It was a few weeks before Jaejoong had simmered down enough to start to question the situation. Junsu had never come for any of his things, never called, never texted, the managers never mentioned his sudden disappearance, and most of all, Yoochun would always avoid any and all of Jaejoong’s questions about it._

_One day, about three months after Junsu’s disappearance, Jaejoong had stopped by the SM building later in the evening to pick up his bag he had left in the dance studio, when he heard voices talking at the far end of the hallway._

_“He’s been gone for too long. Either the group disbands or we get him presentable enough that he can continue promotions. Only have him fight those who are weaker, and make him off limits to patrons.”_

_“He can’t promote.” the other voice hissed. “ JYJ disbands. Yoochun does cocaine, expose him for that, cause a scandal, make it so nothing he says will ever be credible again. Maybe even get him a few years behind bars.”_

_“And Jaejoong?”_

_The mention of his name made him listen even closer._

_“Taeyong is almost ready. He’s just as talented and twice as handsome.”_

_“Almost ready? Ha! That thing still malfunctions like he’s insane! He’s not even passable for a normal human let alone a trainee. Piece of shit tried to bite a tech the other day.”_

_There was a thump from somewhere back in the building and the two voices stopped talking with a curse. Jaejoong, however, had heard enough. Junsu didn’t leave. Yoochun lied, and something dark was going on. Rolling his shoulder blades a bit, he loosened up his wings and slowly, silently stalked after the two figures, trailing them out the back and watching as they got into a waiting car._

_He trailed them as they drove up to a well known Casino. Shit, he’d have to find another way in, or come back after hours…_

  
****************  
  


The alarm clock next to him was blaring and he slammed an irritated hand onto it.

“Don’t break it.” A voice beside him nearly made him piss himself. 

Turning his head, he saw Junsu laying on his back on top of the blankets, vacantly staring at the ceiling. 

“Need something, Junsu?” He yawned tiredly, rolling over all the way. 

He didn’t get a response, so he kept talking. 

“I had a dream about you last night. About when I found you.”

“Sometimes I wonder if you really found Junsu though, hyung. Or someone else.”

Jaejoong paused before giving his answer. It was true when he had first found Junsu it had taken weeks for him to do or say anything without the vampire cringing away from him...after he woke up that is.

“I think that’s up to you, Junsu.” 

  
  


“Hyungs?” A small voice from downstairs broke the awkward silence. 

Jaejoong didn’t miss the way that Junsu bolted up and nearly sprinted downstairs at the slightest possibility of Jisung being hurt or injured. Junsu tried to not look ruffled as he turned the corner quickly to see Jisung sitting on the couch, knees pulled to his chest, a few tears running down his face. When he caught sight of the older vampire he frantically wiped at his eyes, trying to pass it off as no big deal even though they were still red and puffy. 

“Jisung? What is it? You’re crying! What’s wrong? Are you hurt?” Junsu hovered around him, gently patting him down for any injuries although he didn’t smell any blood so there were no open wounds.

“I’m...I’m ok Junsu Hyung. I just….I want to be human again. I miss my normal life. I haven’t even—“ he broke off in a choked sob “I haven’t even told my parents yet.”

Junsu breathed deeply, tears of his own pricking his eyes. He missed his normal life too. It wasn’t Jisung’s normal, but it was always expected. After his parents had died in the late 1800’s at the hand of a hunter, he was left to wander on his own until Lee SooMan, leader of SM clan, found him. SooMan was a weirdass, and Junsu has remembered the first time he felt downright devastated that vampires couldn’t sleep because if they could he would be saved from SooMan strumming away on his wretched guitar at all hours of the morning. Somehow that got him famous and he liked being famous so he started an entertainment company. That was when Junsu had met Jaejoong, Yunho, Changmin and... Yoochun. And it had been the best years of his life, even with all the problems. So yes, he understood where Jisung was coming from. Even though his poor little group had been abused and denied comeback after comeback, it was the feeling of togetherness, that they could do and face anything together….and the feeling of being ripped apart. 

“Jisung…” he started, cautiously, voice quiet as he put an arm around the other. “I’m here to talk if you need to. And I think you do.”

“I’m sorry for screaming at you yesterday, Hyung.” He whispered, instantly wrapping his arms around the elder and burying his face into his chest. He was still just a child, after all.

“No, no I needed that. And you did too. You needed to be able to speak frankly without fear of being hit or yelled at. Your opinions and thoughts are valid, Jisung, and no one can take that away from you. I had to learn that too.” 

“Junsu Hyung,” he tentatively spoke up with a quiet whimper, “what happened to you?” 

Junsu had been prepared for this. Everyone told him that the more he talked about the fights the easier it would be. It didn’t exactly feel like that now, but if anyone could ever understand what he had been through without experiencing it themselves, it would be Jisung. So he took a deep breath and started talking.

“I went out one night with my band member. Just a couple of drinks, nothing we hadn’t done before. Oh that’s another thing by the way, your alcohol tolerance has now descended to zero, so just be careful once you turn 19. Next thing I knew, I woke up in a room, drugged and was able to regain consciousness enough to see Yoochun walking away with a suitcase full of money. It was…” he paused and grew thoughtful. “It was what hurt the most, I think, out of everything. Knowing he betrayed me. The next day I got visited by a man in a gold mask. For quite a few years, there existed a club for the very rich called The Golden Curtain. It was an inhumans trafficking ring, but it wasn’t for sex, although we-- got offers. Instead it...it tracked down inhumans or mutants among the idols in their companies or shows and forced us to fight each other, and the rich and powerful would come to watch.” 

Jisung stared at him, mouth agape. 

“They...That’s where you got all those scars then, Hyung?” 

“Yeah. I was one of the strongest, but no one ever beat Kwon Jiyong. Him and Hakyeon were fairly evenly matched, only because Hakyeon was much faster.”

“Oooo! Jiyong-ssi! I love him!” Jisung gasped in admiration, “Oh and Hakyeon-ssi the kind of scary one from VIXX?” 

Junsu chuckled slightly. Sounded like Hakyeon.

“That’s him. Actually my first fight...and last, ironically, was with Taekwoon. The first time he got me good, I couldn’t walk for a week.”

“I thought vampires healed quickly?”

“Oh don’t you worry, jump off all the buildings you want, you’re still just fine.” Junsu ruffled his hair in a boldly affectionate move, but surprisingly Jisung didn’t seem to mind. “Mine is just permanently slowed from...the silver cages. My last fight was also with Taekwoon, when Jaejoong saved me. They knew Taekwoon wouldn’t stand a chance against me by that point. After so many months, I’d become strong, far stronger than him. So they gave him a silver ring. I told Taekwoon that if I ever...lost control during a fight, I wanted him to kill me.”

A small gasp interrupted his story and Jisung unwound his arms from Junsu’s waist and stared at him.

“Hyung…” he began in a shocked voice, but then closed his mouth again and looked down, snuggling back into Junsu’s side. “It’s okay. I understand that.” 

Junsu didn’t want to think about the fact that Jisung understood the sentiment of wanting to be killed, but he tried not to dwell on it.

“The CEO of SM loved to show me off because I was so strong. Same with Jiyong and Hakyeon. Poor Chan, though, he was the only one from JYP and he…”

_“This is horrible.” Taekwoon whispered to him as they watched Hakyeon repeatedly slam his fists into the force field the boy he was fighting had put up, backing him into a corner. “He’s just a kid! He can’t be more than sixteen!”_

_Junsu looked back at the two in the ring. The force field was weakening as the kid was losing energy and strength. Blood began to drip from his nose and his face had gone white as a sheet. With a final blow, the bluish ring of a force field crackled and dissipated, and he crumpled to the floor in a faint. Junsu saw Taekwoon frown as the handlers dragged the unconscious boy out of the cage and Hakyeon rolled his shoulders casually._

_“I can’t believe he—would do that. To a kid!” The doll seemed livid as he stalked off towards Hakyeon, but Junsu stayed rooted to the spot._

_Chan, as he later found out from Taekwoon the kid was called, was indeed sixteen and from Australia. He could phase through solid objects and use force fields and didn’t like loud noises. Apparently Jaehwan had taken a liking to him and had grown very protective over him. He was still terrified of Hakyeon…_

  
  


“He was young. Your age. So when Keanu and the others brought you here, I thought of him. And I didn’t want that to happen to you even though the fights have long been stopped. Hakyeon and Jiyong convinced everyone to fight back and revolt after Jaejoong rescued me.” Junsu finished. 

If he was being honest, it felt like there was a weight lifted off his chest. Jisung didn’t say anything for a long while, but finally he spoke up.

“I was in the dance practice room, waiting for my friend Kangmin. One of the managers came in, and I was scared because I thought he was going to yell at me. Instead he grabbed me and shoved me up against a wall. I didn’t know what he was going to do, I wanted to run or call Taeson Hyung for help, but I couldn’t move. His eyes were dark red and then I saw his fangs and and there was a horrible pain...I think I passed out from all the blood loss. Kangmin told me I was lying in a pool of my own blood when he found me.” The new vampire talked so quickly and almost all in one breath, eyes screwed shut and his hands balled into fists. “There. I said it. You’re the first person I ever told. Not even KangMin.” 

The two settled into a comfortable silence after that. There wasn’t really anything else to say, so they didn’t try. 

“Hey hyung?” Jisung piped up out of the blue. “Can we watch a vampire movie?”

“OUT of the QUESTION!” Jaejoong shrieked, descending suddenly from an unknown location. “We did that once and Junsu got so angry at the supposedly inaccurate and offensive portrayal of vampires in the media that he flipped his shit and I had to physically restrain him from ripping the house apart. No vampire movies. They’re banned from this residence. Period.” 

“Ooookay then.” Jisung coughed awkwardly. “How about Avengers then?” 

“Acceptable.” 

Jisung was squished in between both Junsu and Jaejoong, who insisted on babying him through the whole movie; feeding him popcorn until they suddenly remembered he couldn’t taste it anyway, then bundling him in a blanket and promptly remembering he couldn’t get cold either. 

“Hyungs, I just like cuddling.” He finally explained, laughing in exasperation. “But only with Junsu Hyung because Jaejoong hyung’s hands are all covered in butter.” 

“Hey! I used to be worshiped as a god you know!” The archangel protested. 

“Shut the fuck up.” Came the retort in unison before Junsu gasped.

“Language!” 

“I’m immortal now so I can do whatever I want.”

“That’s...that’s absolutely not how that works.”

Jisung smiled to himself as he snuggled closer between the two. Even Taeyong had wandered downstairs and plopped himself on the floor in front of the TV. He felt warm, and comforted, and loved, cared for by the adult in his life instead of being torn and beaten down. 

He found a home.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Not gonna lie, I initially didn’t have anyone specific in mind for the evil man working for The Golden Curtain in Junsu’s flashbacks. But after watching Strangers From Hell I’m high key picturing Lee Dongwook 😂


End file.
